William Skirving - Scottish Martyr
Chronology
| Ref | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | William Skirving (1) of Nether Liberton, father of William (2) the Martyr, was a prosperous farmer in Midlothian, near Edinburgh. See also William's Family Tree | |
| William (1) marries? No information as to William's spouse has been found. | ||
| 3 | ca. 1745 | William (2) born. His birth date is based on William being 'in his 50s' at the time of his death in 1796. His siblings were, Robert, John (who died prior to 1766), James, Walter, Janet, Francis, Isobel and Maysa, but little is known of them. |
| 4 | William (2) attended Haddington Grammer School | |
| 4 | Educated at Edinburgh University, for the Secession Church (according to Cockburn) | |
| 4 | Tutor in the family of Sir Alexander Dick, Prestonfield, Edinburgh.. | |
| Farmed at Damhead (believed to be Damhead, Midlothian, not Fife) | ||
| 08/01/1775 | Marries Rachel Abercrombie, (b. 1748 the only child of Janet Mackleron and Andrew Abercrombie, tenant farmer of Stathruddie, in Fife and merchant in Kirkcaldy) in Edinburgh. | |
| 3 | 13/04/1775 | William Skirving (1) of Nether Liberton, passed on several of his tacks, including one at Stenhouse, near Liberton Kirk, to William (2) his eldest son. |
| (3) | 1776 | Death of William (1) senior. The date is assumed by reference to the Lawson papers. |
| 4 | 23/10/1779 | William (1) was living in St Cuthbert's parish Edinburgh when son William (3) baptised there. This son married Sophia Paton, in Edinburgh in 1799 |
| 4 | 20/07/1782 | Living in St Cuthbert's parish Edinburgh when son Alexander was baptised there. |
| 6 | 1790 | Living at Damhead in the Pentlands ? |
| 6 | 1791 | Moved to Strathruddie, Fife ? |
| 1/8 | 26/01/1788 | {The First Fleet, of eleven vessels, with nearly 800 convicts in six transports, arrived in Sydney Cove, Australia} |
| 9 | 1792 | William (2) publishes his book on farming (The
Husbandmans' Assistant, Vol 1, printed by Hugh Inlis, for the author,
Edinburgh, 1792. 446 pp. illus. The second volume was written, but never published) |
| 6 | Aug 1792 | William (2) became Secretary to the Friends of the People, Edinburgh, based at Horse-wynd, Blackfriar's Wynd and Old Assembly Close, Cowgate. |
| 1 | 11/12/1792 | First Convention of the Scottish Friends of the People,
held in Edinburgh. |
| 1 | 02/02/1793 | Muir arrested |
| 1 | 30/08/1793 | Muir's trial commenced in Edinburgh. Muir and Palmer sentenced to 7-14 years transportation. |
| Sep 1793 | Robert Burns writes 'Scots wha hae?', a poem responding to the severity of the sentences received by Muir and Palmer. | |
| 4 | 19/11/1793 | Skirving (2), as General Secretary, headed the Scottish delegation at the British Convention of the Friends of the People, in Edinburgh. |
| 4 | 05/12/1793 | Margarot, Gerrald and Skirving arrested and charged with sedition. |
| 11 | 6-7/01/1794 | William Skirving, (of Strathruddie, lately tenant of Damhead), tried before Lord Blaxfield. Found guilty and sentenced to 14 years transportation. |
| 4 | Skirving set to London's Newgate Gaol. | |
| 5 | Feb 1794 | Skirving, Thomas Muir, John Fysche Palmer and Maurice Margarot placed on prison Hulks in the Thames, in preparation for their deportation to Australia |
| 1 | Feb-May 1794 |
Skirving and colleagues linger aboard 'The Surprize' near Portsmouth. |
| 5 | 02/05/1794 | The Surprize sailed from Porthsmouth, and began its 13,000 mile journey to Botany Bay. |
| 6 | 28/07/1794 | The Surprize lying at Rio de Janeiro |
| 8 | 25/10/1794 | The Surprize reaches New South Wales |
| 4 | Muir, Skirving and Palmer allocated three adjoining brick houses (on a site now traversed by O'Connel Street) | |
| 2/10 | 19/03/1796 | Skirving died at his Sydney house, from dysentery.When recording Skirving's burial, the Rev. Richard Johnston added a notation in the register - 'a seditionist, but a man of reputable moral conduct' |
| 7 | 1796 | Ferguson of Raith provided a house for Skirving's widow
and family at 59 Nicol Street, Kirkcaldy. |
| 9 | (The elder son, William (3) was a handloom weaver. He
married and had a son Andrew who died 27/02/1895 at the home of his only
daughter in Leith. William's (2) second son, Alexander, went to Glasgow, and from humble beginnings became principal of one of the largest firms in the city, Messrs Barclay & Skirving, auctioneers.) |
|
| 8 | 20/02/1837 | It was decided to commemorate the Scottish Martyrs by erecting a monument in the two capital cities of Edinburgh and London. |
| 5 | 21/08/1844 | One of William's sons made a speech at a meeting held to celebrate the opening of the 90ft high monument erected in Edinburgh to commemorate the 'Scottish Martyrs'. See Scotsman Newspaper, 24th Aug 1844) |
| 8 | 24/08/1844 | Three thousand gathered in the Old Calton Burial Ground, Edinburgh, to see Thomas Hume lay the foundation stone of the Scottish Memorial to the Martyrs. |
| 11 | Sep 1845 | Monument completed. (Scotsman, 1st October 1845) |
| 8 | Feb 1851 | The memorial in London's Nunhead Cemetery was unveiled |
References:
1. Web article on Thomas Muir, by Charles McGregor. Source: Steel's "Scotland Story"
2. Web article on Abbot House, Dumfermline
3. The Lawson papers (documents held by the author)
4. The People of the Convict Ship, 'Surprize', by Michael Flynn, Pub Australia by Angela Lind, 1994, p. 132
5. Parliamentary Reform 1750 -1832 Spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
6. Dr. Barclay, Abbot House, Dunfermline (private communication)
7. Article on William Skirving, by Anne Mead, Cardenden Local History Group.
8. The Scottish Martyrs, by Wally Macfarlane. Pub by Friends of Nunhead Cemetery, 1983. ISBN 0 9508881 0 9.
9. Kirkcaldy Library - document reference 'W Skirving, 920(K), and accompanying letter
10. Extract from the Register of burials in Port Jackson, 1796. St Philip's Church, Sydney, Australia.
11. The Scottish Martyrs, Their Trials and Transportation to Botany Bay, by Frank Clune. Published 1969 by Angus and Robertson Ltd, Sydney. SBN 207 95254 x.